Salt

News about salt, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Jul. 7, 2015

Science Q&A answers question about health implications of cutting down on sodium. MORE

Jun. 10, 2015

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio will present plan to Board of Health that would require large chain restaurants to indicate menu items containing more than 100 percent of recommended daily intake of sodium. MORE

Jan. 26, 2015

A new study suggests that dietary salt may have little or no effect on the risk for heart disease in older adults. MORE

Aug. 26, 2014

The Upshot column; studies published in New England Journal of Medicine confirm old cliche that moderation is one's best bet in health, and that applies to sometimes extreme recommendations of doctors; cites low salt diets. MORE

Aug. 24, 2014

Editorial notes that conflicting studies published in The New England Journal of Medicine have brought new evidence to bear on debate over reducing amount of salt in the American diet; points out one issue now is whether a diet too low in sodium can lead to negative health effects. MORE

Apr. 22, 2014

Experts say energy storage is crucial to transforming the electrical grid into clean, sustainable low-emissions system, but they note that storage in the form of batteries is years from being feasible; one of the ways to store bulk amounts of energy available at the moment is with cold or heat, using ice or molten salt. MORE

Apr. 21, 2014

Op-Ed article by Dr Thomas A Farley highlights study done by Britain's Food Standards Agency that finds drop in salt intake in the country has been accompanied by a substantial reduction in average blood pressure; contends it is time for the federal government to fix problem of excessive sodium consumption by leading a voluntary, coordinated, national initiative to get companies to reduce sodium in their products. MORE

Feb. 19, 2014

New Jersey officials are confounded by maritime law from 1920, which is delaying shipment of road salt, because there is no ship with a United States flag and crew available to deliver it; New Jersey Transportation Department bought the salt earlier this month to replenish its stock but with warmer temperatures, need for it may have abated by time it arrives. MORE

Feb. 17, 2014

Warm weather in Sochi, Russia, prompts Olympics organizers there to seek emergency delivery of 24 tons of large-grain salt from Switzerland in effort to save ski conditions and, consequently, Winter Games; complicated rush delivery comes four months after organizers ignored advice to make advance purchase of salt, which is unavailable in Russia. MORE

Feb. 6, 2014

New York City and surrounding communities are using up their road-salt supplies at rapid rate as they face repeated barrages of snow, ice and sleet in year's rough winter; officials are scrambling to restock as more storms and snowy weather are expected. MORE

Feb. 3, 2014

Atlantic Salt Company on Staten Island, which supplies most of New York City's road salt, has been profiting from year's harsh winter weather. MORE

Nov. 14, 2013

Sea salt proponents claim the trace minerals found in sea salts confer added health benefits; nutritionists say the amounts of added minerals are too small to offer a meaningful benefit. To learn more, watch the new Ask Well video. MORE

May. 28, 2013

Letter from American Heart Assn chief executive Nancy Brown responds to May 15 article on government report finding that Americans need not keep their sodium consumption below 2,300 milligrams a day. MORE

May. 15, 2013

Government health experts say there is no rationale for Americans to keep sodium consumption below 2,300 milligrams a day; United States dietary guidelines recommend that the general population aim for sodium levels of 1,500 to 2,300 milligrams a day because those levels will not raise blood pressure, but experts say it is more complicated than that. MORE

May. 15, 2013

Editorial expresses concern about emerging evidence that suggests that lowering one's sodium intake could actually be harmful, not helpful; calls for more research on the issue. MORE

Apr. 1, 2013

A new report projects that a small, steady reduction of sodium in the American diet could save up to half a million lives in a decade. MORE

Mar. 19, 2013

Science Q&A on which species of trees and plants best survived saltwater flood waters from Hurricane Sandy. MORE

Feb. 12, 2013

New York City Mayor Michael R Bloomberg, in the midst of a long-running campaign to change the eating habits of New Yorkers and consumers across the country, declares a victory against salt; 21 companies, including Kraft and Goya, report that they have met goal of a 25 percent reduction in salt content in foods since 2010. MORE

Aug. 29, 2012

Elaine Sciolino Letter From Paris column about salt harvesting still done the old-fashioned way on the Ile de Re off the west coast of France; sauniers, local term for salt harvesters, rake and skim sea salt slowly, with the grace and ease of tango dancers; recipe for whole fish baked in salt crust. MORE

Aug. 27, 2012

Salt reduction has become a culinary cause celebre, with several national restaurant chains vowing to produce lower-sodium products; critics say such precautions may be unnecessary, as the health risks of sodium for average people remains a subject of angry debate among researchers. MORE

Jun. 3, 2012

Op-Ed article by health policy expert Gary Taubes observes that there is a growing body of evidence that suggests that eating smaller quantities of salt can actually worsen health; examines why beliefs about the harmful consequences of consuming too much salt persist. MORE

Mar. 10, 2012

Polish health authorities order the market to withdraw more than 500,000 pounds of pickles, bread and other food suspected of containing industrial salt, latest development in scandal raising food safety. MORE

Dec. 27, 2011

Jane E Brody Personal Health column warns of persistent dangers posed by high-sodium diets, noting that those who take in large amount of sodium and relatively little potassium are particularly prone to hypertension and death; provides several recommendations, including eating less processed food. MORE

Nov. 29, 2011

Study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association finds people who consume too little sodium are at greater risk for heart problems than those who take in a moderate amount; study is co-authored by Evan R Myers of Duke University. MORE

Oct. 12, 2011

Steven Judelson and his wife, Natalie, owners of Amagansett Sea Salt Co, evaporate ocean water to make local organic sea salt. MORE